The climbing club (Nov 2013 - ?)

[porchcricket13]

Good thing you don't let getting stuck get you down! Because you will keep getting stuck, just on more difficult problems! Welcome btw, it's always nice to meet another climber.

 

My stock response is normally to just tell myself I'm not good at it, so I shouldn't do it...but as I was belaying for my partner I was still working out how to conquer the problem, in my head. I figured I would have been so mad at myself for not trying just on  more time!

[obax]

They showed us the bouldering walls for like 5 minutes at the end. So that is always an option. I got a month membership with gear rental so I plan to use it as often as I can. I am a bit concerned as (technically) I don't know if I should be doing it at all. I broke my arm in July and from what they told me I'm still considered healing for at least 9 months. I know for sure the muscles aren't back to their pre-break abilities.

 

That I can't advise you on, unfortunately. I've never broken anything so have no experience with that sort of thing. But climbing can get a bit intense, especially on the forearms, so it might be wise to check with your doc if you can, just to see how they feel about it all. It might just be a case of needing to stick to the easier stuff for a while, who knows...?

[porchcricket13]

Staying with the easier stuff is necessary for a lot of reasons My arm is part of that, as is my general lack of muscle tone and my weight. I was looking for ways to work my muscles that didn't focus on weight training (May the nerd fitness gods not strike me down for that statement). This, yoga, and archery are the first things I've come up with.

[Lilith]

My back feels so sore from yesterdays bouldering session, I love it! There's this really nice new brown route (The grade I'm working on progressing in) that is in a corner where you have to push the wall. It was fun and difficult and I didn't make it but I'm going to try to find a corner in my appartment I can practice the same kind of pushing action in

[Nuala]

I have DOMS between my shoulder blades oO'

[obax]

Staying with the easier stuff is necessary for a lot of reasons My arm is part of that, as is my general lack of muscle tone and my weight. I was looking for ways to work my muscles that didn't focus on weight training (May the nerd fitness gods not strike me down for that statement). This, yoga, and archery are the first things I've come up with.

 

That's also a large part of why I stick with climbing. I tried the 'just go work out at the gym' thing, and holy cow, it wasn't for me. But if you give me a problem to solve and a goal to reach (ie. top of the wall), then I'll go for it full force until I get it. I did find, though, that I had to add in a few supplemental exercises, like pushups and some leg work, to help keep things even. But since it's supplemental to the climbing, rather than the focus of my workout, I find I don't have as hard a time sticking with it.

[porchcricket13]

I hate the gym! I would much rather be hitting the local trails outside, but this winter has been total shite. I need something fun. I looked into crossfit also, but it's ridiculously expensive! I figure, at this point, I need to find things I will actually stick with. 

 

I'm guessing climbing may be one of them, since I spent all night watching youtube videos to try and work out that problem in my head before I try it again lol

[porchcricket13]

So, I have this weird popping feeling in my non healing arm (I can't tell if it's coming from the bicep or the shoulder). It's not exactly painful, more like a decent discomfort. I did not feel that last night. It almost feels like it does in my other arm when my muscle slides over the callous formation from the break. Joy.

[kylie]

Weird popping feeling doesn't sound good, maybe worth having a break from things that hurt for a couple of days. I know what you mean about climbing videos, they can suck me in for hours!

[RoryAverage]

Yay climbing!

 

 

Porchcricket: Weird popping noises....not good.

 

What are your warmups like? I have shoulder/arm problems, mostly from being a drummer for 15 years, and I find when I don't warm up very well, my arm/shoulder really really hurt.

 

Landings.....landing on your heels can seriously hurt you, as can landing on your toes. You really want to drop in onto the balls of your feet. Learn a parkour/shoulder roll, and you'll be just fine. I do HUGE drops at the rock gym, sometimes 20+ feet, and roll out  with no problems. Also, if you're worried about rolling into the wall, look away from it. Your body will follow your head, and if you're letting go of a hold, rather than falling, kick off/out of the wall a bit. That way you'll get momentum away from the wall to help with the roll, and it'll feel more controlled, rather than dropping straight down.

 

 Jesse "The effing man" Laflair's roll tutorial.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1iICtT7ycUs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

Grip: Do more traversing, rather than going up. I found my grip improved vastly once I started endurance traversing, basically trying to cross the gym w/o touching the floor. plus it helps with trying to figure out how to rest on the wall, such as stemming techniques, etc.

 

[porchcricket13]

Being it was my first time, no thought was given to warm ups or proper form. The lesson was "Here, tie these knots a few times, then go climb that wall." I didn't figure out where that was wrong, until I watched a few beginner videos at home. It's much better today, so I don't think I actually got hurt, more like a strain for a few days :/ 

 

I will do things much differently the next time!

[RoryAverage]

Glad to hear it! Keep on climbin!

[Lilith]

So many people suggest traversing. I have not fallen in love yet. I have tried it, but I find it way too difficult. Like I can only go for a few meters before I'm like 'heh there are no holds here'. This may just be because my climbing level is rather low so many holds are too difficult for me but most levels are suggested to 'go traverse'. Is there something I'm missing? Do I need to push through and get comfortable doing it? As in, will it really help my climbing a lot? I want to get better so bad! 

[RoryAverage]

Definitely push through. Even if all you can do is a few meters, it's a start. And yes, it helped my climbing a lot. Also, speed is your enemy in traverse. Concentrate on "perfect" foot and hand placement. Slow and steady, turn into your reaches, and you'll get it!

[kylie]

porchcricket - beginner courses do tend to just focus on the safety aspect, nd understandably so! Now you know for next time that you need to get in some good warmup before you climb.

 

Traversing is a great way to practise Lilith, we always used to do some in our warm-up. As Rory said, you can really concentrate on getting good movement and quiet foot placements. If there is only a small section before you reach holds you can't use yet, you can always switch directions and go back the way you came. In fact, it's good to do this anyway to ensure you are practising movements on both sides of your body. Let us know how you get on if you try it!

[iatetheyeti]

Definitely on board with the traversing practice. My foot placement and body movement as a whole improved a lot once I started doing it regularly. That and you can figure out rest positions without being that far off the ground, brilliant for practice before actual climbs!

[Why not?]

Saw this thread

Thought "Hey, I like climbing!"

Clicked thread

Read

Thought "I have no idea what they're talking about. Smearing? What are these numbers?"

 

I envy your climbing walls and ropes and such. My climbing is "Oh look, a rock face! Lets climb it!"

[obax]

Saw this thread

Thought "Hey, I like climbing!"

Clicked thread

Read

Thought "I have no idea what they're talking about. Smearing? What are these numbers?"

 

I envy your climbing walls and ropes and such. My climbing is "Oh look, a rock face! Lets climb it!"

 

I don't know what smearing is either. If I had to guess I'd say it's where you put your foot against the wall for leverage rather than using a foothold? 

 

Are the numbers you're referring to grades, maybe? To indicated the difficulty of the route? If it's, like, 5.9+ or something like that, then it's a grade. V2 is a grade for a bouldering problem. There are lots of different grading systems, though, those are just the ones I've seen most on here.

[Lilith]

Well I tried it and I got frustrated again. There's something that makes me feel very inferior when I traverse. I'm not worried about people watching me, but then all of a sudden I think everyone's going to be smirking at me. But I'm not giving up. Next time I'm going climbing I will traverse again. Even if it's just two meters and then back, I will keep at it grrr

[kylie]

If just trying to traverse is a bit frustrating Lilith, you can always build in practise of some specific techniques. For example, swap directions on every move so you get loads of practise at twisting, or traverse for a while always facing the same direction - and don't make it so you're always facing forwards, doing a whole section facing backwards is fun and good practise too. I've been doing some focusing on swapping directions and facing left recently after a coaching session recently pointed out that I face right most of the time when I'm climbing, got to work at those weaknesses!

[Lilith]

If just trying to traverse is a bit frustrating Lilith, you can always build in practise of some specific techniques. For example, swap directions on every move so you get loads of practise at twisting, or traverse for a while always facing the same direction - and don't make it so you're always facing forwards, doing a whole section facing backwards is fun and good practise too. I've been doing some focusing on swapping directions and facing left recently after a coaching session recently pointed out that I face right most of the time when I'm climbing, got to work at those weaknesses!

That's great advice, thank you! I will practice the twisting and sing "Do The Twist" to keep the air light! But I do traversing now when I boulder. I just don't make it past one or two meters but I think to myself that's okay. At least I will keep at it! 

[obax]

Does anyone have any advice for dealing with what I call Pinchy Finger Syndrome? This is where my fingers physically hurt from the friction with the holds, rather than being a result of sore muscles (if that makes sense).

 

I have calluses in the areas where it hurts the most (mainly just below the middle and top knuckles of each finger), which are mostly flat and not gross and gnarly. I find that I often have to stop climbing before I really want to because my hands hurt too much, maybe I'm just being a giant baby and have to suck it up, but it really hurts and feels like I will rip the entire callus off if I'm not careful.

 

Incidentally, I find the routes that are on overhangs and such to be much harder on my hands than ones on flat walls. Which makes sense to me, but it really limits the amount of time I can work on these routes, and overhangs are currently the bane of my existence and I'd like to work on them more.

[Nuala]

If the calluses are too thick, it hurts a lot. You should slim them a bit. I usually use paper-sand or a nail-file to remove the excess dead skin. I feel so much like a lady doing that

[obax]

It does sounds very lady-like. I'll have to do it in secret, I'm most definitely not a lady... I was wondering if they were getting too thick, but it's always been a problem, even when I had soft baby hands, and I would not have described my calluses as thick, per se.... But I'll seek out a file or some such and see if it helps.

[Lilith]

I wish I knew how to help you Obax! I have the same problem. Sometimes the pain becomes so great I can't mentally push myself anymore to hold on - and that's where my climbing session ends. (Or I usually try higher grade routes with more difficult, but therefore more smooth holds) .  The only thing I know and do is make sure I moisturise my hands. Not just on climbing days, but all the time, so you get tough leathery hands. Or that's the idea.